This document reports the findings of a study assessing the status of school finance in Wisconsin and recommending preferred methods for funding the public schools. Seventy-nine topics were considered in five areas: state support, general aid, categorical aid, factors affecting school costs, and other topics. The study's recommendations regarding…

EMPLOYMENT OF AN ARCHITECT WHO WILL DRAW UP PLANS AND SUBMIT PRELIMINARY SKETCHES IS THE FIRST STEP IN THE BIDDING PROCEDURE. THE ARCHITECT USUALLY WORKS WITH A CONSULTING ENGINEER. AFTER APPROVAL OF PRELIMINARY PLANS, THE ENGINEER WILL ESTABLISH SPECIFICATIONS FOR MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT AND DRAW PLANS ACCORDINGLY WHEN THIS PHASE IS COMPLETED THE…

This paper describes the research that has been required to develop the factual evidence for challenges to inequitable school finance laws and for defenses of school finance reform legislation in Oregon and Wisconsin. Both the challenge to and the defense of school finance legislation use an analytical framework that focuses on the following…

The Wisconsin State Plan is presented in two parts (1) administrative provisions and (2) annual and long-range program plan provisions. Part one sets forth detailed procedures for the administration of vocational education in Wisconsin and the legal basis for these procedures. It describes the State board and its organizational structure; fiscal…

The prevailing concept today is that the student activity program is a vital part of the total school curriculum. In order to present a study of factual material and opinions regarding the general status of the student activity programs in Wisconsin, a questionnaire was sent to the administrators of the 501 public and private senior high schools…

Speech given at the Consultation for Educational Justice in New York City by the coordinator of Milwaukee's Federation of Independent Community Schools. Discusses the community schools of Milwaukee and, in particular, their financing problems. (JM)

Public schools can be considered a form of workforce development, and thus it is important to measure the "work product" of the schools. The Public Policy Forum's annual analysis of public schools in the 50 districts serving southeastern Wisconsin measured absenteeism as educational opportunities lost because children were not in class.…

This document summarizes seven speeches on educational issues in Wisconsin. Dr. Ernest Boyer advocates recognition and reward for quality teachers and identifies developing language skills as the essential purpose of public education. Dr. Carolyn Warner defends free public education and criticizes tuition tax credits. Dr. James Rutherford urges…

This study examined how closely 11 accepted principles for managing budgets were followed at 98 public college campuses during the first half of the 1990s, a period of budget problems. The colleges reviewed were in six states: California, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, Texas, and Wisconsin. The study found that (1) planning was not inclusive,…

Most education research has confirmed that small classes yield benefits. Research also has revealed nuances about how and when small classes will work best, where an investment will result in maximum return, and exactly how many students a "small" class should have. The details of these findings can help policymakers strike a practical…

This is the 12th annual report on conditions affecting the Racine Unified School District (RUSD). This year, the analysis again focuses on the long-term historical trends in RUSD. The analysis compares RUSD data to data of nine peer school districts as well as statewide data. The peer districts are defined as those Wisconsin districts with…

This is the second year report in a five-year evaluation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP). This program, which began in 1990, provides government-funded vouchers for low-income children to attend private schools in the City of Milwaukee. The maximum voucher amount in 2007-08 was $6,607, and approximately 20,000 children use a…

The well-being of a large portion of American children is distressingly low. Integrated service delivery--which provides the broadest range of education, health, housing, and social services--is viewed as one way to remedy the failure of public and private institutions to deliver effective services that can ameliorate or reverse these problems and…

This volume contains three papers that evaluate student equality resulting from school financing programs. The papers are based on the premise that student equity can be measured by comparing how much school districts spend. In the first paper the author presents a systematic analysis of several measures of equity and the implication of using each…